Beyond the Black Curtains
by thegoodwitchofdarkmagic
Summary: Orion is on a mission for the Order of the Phoniex to destroy the Veils that are located through out the world, but a huge problem occurs that will endanger his mission. AU Contains Spoilers for all seven books.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Writing this for fun, not profit. I'm just borrowing Harry, his friends, and the name Penny Blood.**

* * *

Chapter One

Edward Peterson was leaning on the bar counter, wiping a beer mug with a ratty, old rag when the tiny bell above the peeling door gave a short, sharp ring indicating a customer had entered the tiny pub. Startled by the unexpected sound, Edward dropped the glass mug. It hit the dull wooden floor and shattered into many jagged pieces. He let out a curse. This was the ninth glass he had broken in the past two weeks. Mr. Shupp, the owner of the pub, wouldn't be too pleased when he counted the cups resting on the long shelf above the taps and discovered another glass missing. Muttering rude remarks under his breath, the young bartender pushed the glass shards into a pile with his foot to be cleaned up later before Mr. Shupp took over as bartender for the evening.

Nobody went to the Lost Crown for a drink before supper expected two old, wrinkling men who had arrived an hour ago. They would show up around ten everyday with one of them carrying a checker board tucked under one arm. Both men would be smoking a pipe filling the air with foul, hazy smoke. The men would sit near the fire place playing checkers for exactly two hours and then leave the bar. It annoyed Edward that they never bought anything, but he wouldn't dare tell them to play somewhere else. The two pesky men were friends of Mr. Shupp and chasing them off would most likely result in him losing his job.

Edward concluded the neighborhood kids were messing around with the door again. Expecting to see a small child smiling mischievously at him, Edward was surprised to find a man.

Standing in front of the doorway, blinking his eyes to adjust to the dim room was a grim-looking man Edward had never seen before. The man was tall and thin and was wearing a black jacket, black pants, and a white shirt that made his face appear very pale. He removed his black wide-rimmed hat from his head and used it to wipe his forehead. Shaggy, graying black hair was plastered to his gaunt face. Bright gray eyes peered through strands of sweat-soaked hair studying the room. When the stranger's eyes landed on Edward, his tight, glum frown morphed into a grin. The kind of grin that madmen would have on their faces when they were hacking you up. The man put his hat back on his head and walked over to the counter, his big, chunky motorcycle boots thudding all the way.

Edward gulped in fear. He wasn't used to serving strangers especially creepy guys like this man. The clientele of the Lost Crown were all friends of Mr. Shupp. They would bring their family and friends to the pub with them which brought new customers to the Lost Crown. It seemed liked that if you didn't know Mr. Shupp, you didn't know the pub existed. Even Edward who had traveled the street that the Lost Crown was located on numerous times didn't know about the pub until he was interviewed by Mr. Shupp for the bartending job.

The man sat down on the metal stool right in front of Edward. Sliding off his coat and hat, the man laid them on the counter. Edward went to work scrubbing the grimy counter, not daring to make eye contact with the man. "What can I do for you, sir?" Edward said, voice cracking slightly.

"Give me the strongest liquid you have in this dump," the man said as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a cheap plastic blue lighter. Carefully selecting a cigarette from the flimsy wrapper, he lit it and took a long drag from the cigarette. Trying not to wrinkle his nose in disgust, Edward grabbed a green long-necked bottle and a shot glass from the shelf.

"Not that, boy," the customer said, winking. His eyes flickered down to the counter and back up at Edward.

Edward could feel a drop of sweat run down his face. He kneeled down and took a old, dusty black bottle off the shelf. Wiping the bottle off with his rag, Edward unscrewed the lid and poured the dark honey-colored alcohol into the glass. The man picked it up, inspected the liquid , and downed it in one sallow.

"Another shot?" Edward asked.

The man shook his head. While the black haired stranger polluted the air with his cigarette, Edward put the two bottles in their respected places and put the used glass in a tub under the counter. Edward hoped that the man would hurry up and finished his cigarette so he could pay his tab and leave. The man made him nervous.

"Anything else I can do for you, sir," Edward said, going back to cleaning the counter and not looking at the man.

"In fact, there is something else you could do for me," the man said. The man rubbed out his cigarette on the heel of his boot and threw the butt into an ash tray. Edward wanted to groaned. What could his creepy guy want?

"I'm looking for a boy named Caleb Peterson," the man informed Edward.

Edward froze in midwipe. Glaring suspiously at his customer, Edward asked," What do you want with my brother?"

"Brothers, eh? I should had known. You both have matching wild blonde hair and freckled faces," the man replied. " I paid your brother to take me down into Penny Blood's Tunnel. He told me to come here and ask for him."

Edward should have felt relieved when the man told him this, but the worry only got worst. His kid brother was always showing his friends and tourists the cramp, dark passage that ran under the building for a small fee. Edward didn't mind his brother doing it; Mr. Shupp didn't care and Caleb made good money from the tours. However, the haggard man sitting in front of him was making Edward rethink about allowing Caleb to take strangers into the tunnel.

Watching the two old men exit the pub, Edward yelled," Caleb!"

The back door screeched opened. Poking his dirt-streaked face into the pub, the boy yelled back," What do ya want?"

"Someone looking for you," Edward said, pointing at the man.

Caleb's brown eyes widen in delight. "Orion! Oh, bloody hell, I forgot you were coming today," the boy grinned, gesturing for the man called Orion to follow him.

"How much did he pay you?" Edward asked, leaning against the counter. Edward knew it was a rude question to ask, but the bartender didn't trust this Orion. He seemed like the type to swilled people out of their money.

"That reminds me," the boy gasped. He stuck his hand in the pocket of his muddy jeans and rummaged around for a few minutes with his tongue sticking out at the corner of his mouth in concentration. Caleb removed a gleaming gold-colored coin. "I can't take this."

Getting off the stool, Orion walked over to Caleb and crouched down to the boy's height. "Why can't you take it?" Orion said, giving Caleb a warm smile.

"Well, I went down the street to see Mr. Westley, he's a jeweler, and I asked him to look at the coin you gave me. He told me that the coin was made out of pure gold."

"Did you say gold?" Edward asked, looking at his customer in disbelief.

"Yup. And that's not all. The coin is worth at least one hundred pounds," Caleb reported.

"One hundred pounds? Holy Shit!" Edward said.

"Is it not enough?" Orion asked worriedly, reaching into his pocket.

"Are you kidding? It's too much!" Caleb exclaimed.

The man laughed. If by magic his face appeared younger. Taking a smaller, silver coin out of his pocket, Orion took a hold of Caleb's tiny hand, pressed the coin into his palm, and closed it. "I have so much money that I could never spend it in ten life times," Orion confessed, standing up. "Keep them."

Staring at the two shiny coins in his hand, Caleb stuttered, "Th- th- thank you!" Caleb quickly pocketed his payment and with a "Follow me, sir!", the boy disappeared behind the door. Orion put on his coat and his hat and with a tip of his hat at Edward, he followed the boy outside. Edward was left standing behind the counter dumbstruck.

Stepping outside, Orion found himself in a tiny unkempt backyard. Surrounded on three sides by a pasty-color stone wall, the yard was over grown with weeds and tall grass. Orion spotted the boy standing near a small tree that was being strangled by ivy. Caleb grinned and pointed at the ground. Joining Caleb, Orion saw a small wooden door was built into the ground. Caleb grabbed the rusty iron ring on the door and pulled the door open.

"Welcome to Penny Blood's Tunnel," Caleb said. He carefully lowered himself onto a wooden ladder and was swallowed up by bleak darkness. Getting to his knees, Orion crawled to the hole and stepped down. Groaning, the ladder bended dangerously under his weight. Orion quickly descended.

Caleb was waiting for him holding a plastic battery-operated lantern. The weak light revealed a narrow, low ceiling dirt passage way that disappeared into darkness on Orion's left.

"How far does this tunnel go?" Orion asked his small companion.

"About thirty meters or so," Caleb said. "Are you ready?"

"Lead the way," Orion grinned.

"There is no recorded information about Penny Blood's Tunnel," Caleb said as they traveled through the tunnel. "Only tales passed down from owner to owner of property can give us a glimpsed into the tunnel's dreadful history. It is believed the tunnel was built during the Black Plague epidemic. Victims of the plague were rounded up and imprisoned in the tunnel to die. Watch your head."

"Wha-" The ceiling dropped sharply and Orion's head hit it, knocking off his hat. Orion let out a hiss of pain.

"Are you alright?" Caleb said.

Orion scooped up his hat and sat it on the boy's blonde head. "Just a bump," he reassured Caleb, rubbing his sore head.

A now hunched over Orion and Caleb continued their journey through the tunnel. They walked two meters in silence before Orion interrupted the morgue-like atmosphere with a question. "Why is it called Penny Blood's Tunnel?"

"The Tunnel doesn't official have a name. The local teenagers made up this crazy story about this girl named Penny Blood and her misadventure in the tunnel for a good scare during Halloween," Caleb said, rolling his eyes at the stupidity of teenagers. "On the other hand, their stupid story does bring in the money. Tourist love this kind of stuff."

"What's the story?" Orion said.

"Penny Blood was a girl who lived above the pub a long time age," Caleb began. "One night, she was awaken by a horrible scream. Turn here." The tunnel made a ninety degree turn leading the man and boy to the left.

"Curious about who was screaming," Caleb continued. "She got out of bed and followed the shriek down into the tunnel. They say that the screaming guided Penny Blood straight to the Gate of Hell. Like all good urban myth, it ends with she was never seen again. One more turn to the right."

Rounding the corner, the ceil rose sharply upward. The lantern's light felled upon the thing that Orion had been searching for over an year. A black gate loomed over Orion and Caleb. The gate was made out of a unidentifiable metal that glittered brightly in the weak light. Weaved between the thin bars and held together by an old fashion lock, a thick chain guarded the gate from being opened. Orion slowly reached out and touched the gate. The metals felt slick and cold like ice. Fingers burning, Orion dropped his hand to his side.

"This is the so-called "Gate of Hell," Caleb informed Orion.

"Has anyone that you know of ever been through the gate?"

"Nope. It's impossible. Nothing can cut through the metal of the chain, the lock, and the gate. Also the lock has no key hole."

" Leave me," Orion said.

"What?"

"Go back without me."

"That's not a good idea," Caleb said.

"I'll be alright. I just want to check out the gate and see if I can open it," Orion said.

Caleb crossed his arms against his chest, looking at Orion with a serious expression on his face. "Okay, but you're wasting your time. If you don't come out of the tunnel in ten minutes, I get to keep the hat."

"Deal," Orion laughed.

Taking the lantern with him, Caleb left Orion in complete darkness. When the boy's soft footsteps faded away, Orion pulled out his wand. He groped for the lock, missing it countless of times and getting burned by the freezing gate. Finally locating the lock, Orion tapped his wand on it and said, "Alohomora."

He heard the lock pop open and the chain slither down the bars dragging the lock with it. Orion used his foot to push the gate open. The gate opened without protest, releasing a chilly air from the room beyond it.

"Lumos," Orion said. A light appeared on the tip of his wand, but it did little good; the darkness devoured the light. Orion passed through the black gate and walked down the remaining tunnel.

Suddenly, the world brightened around Orion, blinding him momentarily. When he regained his eye sight, Orion found himself in a circular stone room a lit by torches. Orion put out the light on his wand, but didn't return the wand to his pocket. He held it in a tight grip ready to defend himself against any unknown threats. Glancing around, the man discovered the very object that had lead him to the four corners of the earth searching for it.

In the center of the cold and eerily quiet room was a ring of huge, smooth white marble columns about one meter apart from each other. Behind these marble guardians, a white marble archway stood on a black marble dais. A beautiful black silk curtain rippled slightly by an otherworldly wind. Compared to the other Veils he had seen, Orion believed this one was the finest of them all.

Orion knew he should have left the chamber after he confirmed the location of the Veil, but he was memorized by the loveliness of it. Even knowing the horrors that laid behind it's curtains didn't stop Orion from walking a couple of steps towards it. Standing among the pillars, Orion stood with his head tilted to the side, eyes closed, listening. He could hear the faint voices of those not of this realm. They called to him, promising fame, riches, and adventure, but he resisted their invitation. He would never use the Veils ever again.

The voices abruptly vanished leaving only two voices, a man's and a woman's, to be heard. Orion couldn't figure out what they were saying. Then the two voices disappeared, leaving Orion in deafening silence.

Orion sensed something wasn't right. He backed way from the marble arch, eyes never leaving the curtain. Orion almost made it out of the room when the black curtains were blown into the air, violently struggling in the wind. Orion gave a dog-like growl. He knew what was happening; someone or something was coming through the Veil. Shooting out of the Veil, a fluttering mass of black cloth smashed into the floor and slid right at Orion. Orion scrambled out of the way just in time. Whatever came out of the Veil zoomed past him and into the dirt tunnel. With elegant blue robes whipping in the murderous wind, a tan man with brown hair and a goatee exited the archway, ending the fierce wind storm. Surveying the room with cold, calculating blue eyes, the man smirked when he found Orion glaring at him, wand pointed at him.

"I wanted to kill her, but it will have to wait. I can't have any witnesses even if they're from an alternate universe," the browned hair man said, raising his wand.

Orion was displeased when he heard the man say that. It was his job to keep people from using the Veils. People using the Veil to travel to different worlds could result in dangerous repercussions. Orion was going to have to send the man and the thing in the tunnel quickly back where they came from and destroy the Veil without the help of the Order.

A dark red hex shot out of the tunnel and headed for the man. He dodged it, disappearing behind one of the columns. A skeletal woman stepped into the chamber with her wand drawn. Her torn and filthy dress hung loosely on her ashy, thin body. Black eyes peered out of her sunken eye sockets, searching for her companion. "I'm your opponent, Cassius," she croaked.

Cassius emerged from behind a pillar and cast the Cruciatus Curse. Orion leaped out of the way. The woman ducked under the curse and charged at Cassius. The woman and the man began to duel, ignoring Orion.

Orion watched them. He needed one or two prefect shots to knock both duelists into the Veil, but they were moving so quickly that Orion couldn't predict when they would be in front of the arch. Noticing Orion trailing their movements with his wand, Cassius sent a Blasting Curse at Orion.

"Protegerus," Orion bellowed extending his wand out in front of him. A thin purple barrier appeared covering him. The curse hit the magical wall and exploded.

The finely dressed man cast a stunner and the angry red spell hit the woman knocking her into a marble column. She slid down it and crumpled to the ground head first. The woman didn't get up.

"I win, my dear," Cassius smiled, twirling his wand with his fingers. The gloating man didn't realize he was in danger of being sent flying into the Veil.

"I got you now, bastard," Orion muttered. His curse struck Cassius, sending him tumbling backward into the archway. He disappeared behind the black curtains.

"That was easy," Orion said, putting his wand in his jacket pocket. "Now to get rid of the woman."

Passing the white pillars, Orion observed something that filled him with unease. The curtains were no longer fluttering, but were now hanging limply in the air. Orion removed his lighter from his pocket and hurled it into the Veil. The lighter passed through the curtains, causing them to ripple a little. Orion heard it hit the ground on the other side of the archway.

"You got to be shitting me," Orion groaned in frustration. "Did the portal expire?"

Going over to the Veil, Orion stuck his hand through the curtains. Not getting pulled into the archway, Orion enter it. Nothing happen; he was still in the chamber. Orion picked up his lighter and put it back into his pocket.

"Well, I guess the Order doesn't have to worry about this Veil," Orion said to himself, scratching his head. "But what are we going to do about the wo-Where the hell did she go?!"

The woman had vanished. Orion glanced around the chamber. He didn't see her anywhere. "This ain't go-"

The dark curse flew over his shoulder, scorching his jacket. Orion spun around and was almost hit by another curse. Watching each other intensely, the ghastly woman and Orion stood as still as statue waiting for the other to make the first move.

"How about you put down the wand and-" Orion began when the woman keeled over. Orion looked at the woman sprawled on the floor for a few minutes, not sure what to do. Orion pulled out his wand and slowly walked over to the woman. Kneeling down, he rolled the woman over. Orion found the woman was indeed unconscious. He gingerly gathered the woman in his arms and apparated to Hogsmeade.

* * *

**Please review to tell me what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: See first chappie for details.**

**Warning: This chapter contains bad language. **

* * *

A thumping, piercing pain across her forehead woke Theresa. She groaned and slowly opened her eyes. Bright sunlight glared into the room causing splotches of red, purple, and black to leap and swirl across her vision. Hissing loudly in pain, Theresa closed her eyes.

Theresa laid there battling back the crippling panic that prowled in her subconscious. Horrible memories fought to consume her mind, but she wouldn't let her treacherous mind win. Theresa would not let her teacher down. She would not abandon her brother. She would not let Cassius win.

She was the only one who knew of Cassius treachery. The bastard was the person who assassinated Chief Warlock Amaethon and his wife, sending her beloved homeland into inescapable chaos. Theresa had to return quickly to London before Cassius slithered his way into the Ministry and gains control of the country. Furthermore, she wanted to be the one to kill Cassius for the pain and humiliation he had caused her by sending her to the dark sweltering hell hole known as Uffern.

Recent memories from who knows how many days ago flooded her fragile mind. Angrily, Theresa balled her hands into tight fists, her long, sharp nails pressing painfully hard into her skin. How could she be so stupid? She almost had the murdering bastard, but just one tiny mistake ruin her chance and sent her to another region of hell. Now Cassius was safely back home while she was stuck in another plane of reality. Theresa wouldn't be in this mess if she didn't hesitant to kill Cassius when she had the chance and if that damn black haired stranger didn't get involved. Thinking of the idiot, where was the man?

Taking deep breaths and uncurling her hands, Theresa opened her eyes . Her eyes were immediately assaulted by colorful circles, but she forced herself to keep them open. When her eyes were used to the extremely bright room, she looked around the room. What she found made Theresa narrow her eyes and wrinkle her long, thin nose in disgust.

The room was a complete mess. Clothes were in bunches all over the floor, hiding away the grimy brown carpet that peek through in some spots. A battered, scratched-up dresser was in the corner with shirts and pants flowing out of it's drawers. The ugly dirt brown wallpaper was peeling off in long, narrow strips, revealing the hideous dark yellow walls behind them. Theresa felt trapped in the room because it was so small and crowded. The bed alone took up three fourth of the room up.

Not wanting to spend another minute in this dump, Theresa pushed herself up using both of her hands. She didn't rise two feet when her head hit something very solid. "Bloody Hell," Theresa snarled, falling back onto the bed. She groaned, rubbing her forehead in a circular motion. Her aching head now felt like it was being crushed between the teeth of a dragon.

Theresa glowered at the ceiling. There was nothing in sight, but she knew something was above her. She reached towards the filthy white plaster ceiling with a tired arm, grasping for the invisible thing that lurked in the air. Suddenly she felt a strange energy flow through her arm, first causing sharp pricks of pain to plague her arms then numbing it. Rippling into view, a pale blue see-through wall encaged the bed. Pulling back her arm, the wall shimmered out of sight.

Theresa let out a strange sound that resembled the growl of a furious cat. Theresa flexed her aching hand as she thought about what she should do next. Theresa hated the idea of being someone prisoner again. She had to break the barrier that surrounded her, but she wasn't sure how to destroy. The magical barricade was something she never seen before. Theresa wasn't an expert on the defensive forms of magic, but even she knew that this blue dome was different from most other magical barriers. The energy that surrendered her was very unstable unlike most magic used by witches and wizards. Just thinking that someone could shape this wild magic made Theresa 's mind reel. The barrier reminded her of lightening: unpredictable and deadly.

Theresa relaxed her stiff body, clearing her mind of the monstrous madness that threaten to take control of her mind. If she was going to get out of this foul brown room, she would have to focus.

Theresa made a mental list of the steps she would have to take to escape. First thing she would have to do is locate and retrieve her wand. Eyes skimming over the worn dresser and the fabric hills, she didn't see her wand anywhere. This didn't worry her. Theresa knew that the chances of her wand laying in eye sight was as likely as trolls learning how to do ballet. Whoever placed the barrier around her didn't want her leaving anytime soon. Lifting her hand carefully in the air , Theresa called out softly, " Accio wand."

Loud pounding came from the dresser, making Theresa wince. She glanced at the door, waiting for someone to barge inside and curse her. As the noise continue without irrupted from Theresa's unknown jailer, Theresa return her focus to her trapped wand. What could be keeping the drawer from opening? Was it stuck? Or was it magical locked?

"Desatre," she said, sitting up a little.

Nothing.

"Aprivele."

Still nothing.

"Rivela," she snapped. The drawer popped violently out of dresser and hit the floor with a thunderous "thump", flinging various of object out of it. Her wand zoomed out of it's prison and hit the invisible shield that guarded her. To Theresa's surprise, it pass through the barrier without any difficulty. The elegant, slim wand didn't even cause the blue barrier to ripple into appearance. Her wand smacked her aching forehead, rolled off and landed in her lap.

"I got my wand. What to do next?" Therese asked herself softly, picking up her wand. The familiar smooth wood between her fingers comforted the troubled woman. With her wand, nothing in this cruel world could break her.

"How am I going to break this bloody barrier?" Theresa murmured.

"Why don't you erase the fucking blood symbol thingy above your head, dumb ass."

Theresa head snapped up, silted eyes landing on the speaker. Perched on the end of the bed was a creature Theresa had never seen before. It looked like a ferret, but it was defiantly wasn't a ordinary ferret. The ferret- liked creature was as tall and long as a medium-size dog. It's glossy fur was a beautiful rich dark chocolate brown. The beast's paws, tummy, and large circular ears were a golden brown. Intelligent milk chocolate eyes stared into Theresa cold black ones.

"Did you say that?" Theresa demanded, staring at the beast in front of her in disbelief.

Rolling it's eyes, the creature said in a nasally voice," No, it was the fucking monster under the bed. He wants his mask back, hag."

"What did you say?"

"I didn't stutter, moron," it said. The creature scurried across the bed, making it shake violently. It leaped onto Theresa lap, knocking her against the wooden head board. The ferret creature tilted it's head , bright ,warm eyes scrutinized Theresa.

"Your one ugly broad. Where in the hell did Argos find you? The city morgue? Hell, I seen banshees with more color then you," the creature chattered, smiling at Theresa. She got a good glimpse of it's sharp teeth.

"Get off me, you foul, nasty rodent," Theresa hissed nastily, pointing her wand at the creature.

"Rodent?! I'm a jarvey, you stupid bitch," the jarvey snapped, letting out a furious hiss. The creature's lovely fur bristled, making it seem much larger then it really was. " What in the hell is your problem? I'm trying to help you get out and you insult me, you greasy haired, big nosed, waxy skin hag." Sticking it's pink tongue out at her, the jarvey ran across the bed and jumped off. Theresa heard the door closed.

Taking large breaths to calm herself down, Theresa thought about what it said. The horrible foul-mouthed creature mention something about a blood symbol. What was that? Theresa leaned back against the head board and peered up . On the top of the head board was a outline of a galleon-sized circle which made out of blood. Inside of the blood circle was a line and a symbol that resembled a wiggly upside down "y" which laid on top of the line which was also drawn in blood. Theresa shivered. She didn't want to think about the blood and where it came from.

"This must be it, but how do you get rid of it?" Theresa questioned herself.

"Take your stupid wand and erase it. For the love of Merlin, are you this fucking stupid all the time?"

To Theresa displeasure, the jarvey was back. Somehow it enter the room and got onto the bed without her noticing. This made Theresa very angry. How could she not notice the creature. It was freaking huge! And let's not forget annoyingly loud. Lounging on the bed curled up in a loose ball, jarvey yawned.

"What do you want, beast?" Theresa growled.

"Oghma," the jarvey said, glaring at her.

"What?"

The jarvey let out a dramatic sigh. "I have a name you know, hag. It's Oghma. Anyway, are you going to just sit there and collect dust or are you going to get the fuck out of here?

Theresa stared at Oghma the jarvey, unsure what to do. She didn't trust anyone, not even her brother who she loved deeply. She had been betrayed too many times in her life to be foolish enough to allow herself to place her fate into the hands of others. The javery or whatever the hell it was seemed like it was trying to help her, but it could be just an act. The creature was an obnoxious bully. It could be just messing around with her, trying to make her touch the symbol to harm her.

"Why are you helping me?" Theresa said.

"Because there's nothing else to do and it's fun to watch Argos freak," Oghma said, getting up. Unlike the last time, the brown creature cautiously walked across the bed in a wobbly motion and into her lap. Sitting on it's hunches, Oghma craned it's neck to look up at her. "Holy shit, you have a long neck. Was your mother a freaking giraffe or something?"

Frowning, Theresa said," What do you by "erasing?"

"Take the fucking tree limb and rub the blood off. It's not that hard to understand," Oghma said.

"Why can't I use me hand?"

"If you want to be knocked out again, go on right ahead and touch it."

Turning her upper half around, Theresa set the tip of her wand on top of the symbol. She began to attack the blood circle with hard strokes . Flakes of dry black blood flew off , getting all over Theresa. After the last piece of crusty blood was gone, Theresa return her glaze to Oghma. " Now what?"

"You leave," Oghma stated.

"Oh…That was easy."

"Well, Hewitt was the one who was in charge of making sure that you didn't leave and like always he did a piss poor job. Now if mutt face had gotten off his lazy ass and did it, you wouldn't be going anywhere," Oghma informed her, resting his large head on her knee.

"Mutt-face?"

"Argos."

"I see. And the barrier…? Why could you and my wand get through, but not me?" Theresa questioned the dozing creature.

Yawning, Oghma mumbled," I really don't know the whole magical principle behind it, but to put it in simple terms, that blood symbol was the thing that kept the shield up. It was your blood that was used for the foundation for spell or something like that. How your blood was drew on made the magic barrier sensitive to you, causing you not to be able to go through the barrier. Anything else can pass through the barrier without even knowing that it's there."

Eyes wide with horror, Theresa brought her arms out in front of her to inspect them for cuts. She was shock to find that she wasn't wearing her black dress, but a man- size black flannel pajama top that hung loosely on her boney frame. Lifting the covers, Theresa saw she was wearing matching bottoms. The idea of someone sliding a knife across her skin faded away as embarrassment and rage took it's place.

"How did I get dress in this?," Theresa growled.

"Jeez, hag, calm the hell down. Madame Durriken was the one who undressed you and cleaned you up."

Still frowning, Theresa pushed Oghma off her lap ( who wasn't to please with this and snapped at her fingers), pocketed her wand and threw the thick, brown blanket off of her. She got out of bed, using the head board for support. Her legs were weak and wobbly , but Theresa was sure she could walk. That was until she took her first step.

Taking one shakey step, her legs gave out. Theresa felled into one of the pile of dirty laundry face first. The smell of old sweat made her gag. She garbed a hold of the edge of the bed and somehow managed to pull herself off. Oghma was rolling on his back, making a loud, chattering noise that sounded like laughter.

"Shut-up!" Theresa hissed as she glanced at the door.

"Don't worry about someone coming to investigate the noise. Dumb ass also placed some kind of charm on the room so no noise can get in or out of the room," Oghma said. " To help you sleep without interruption."

Theresa tried again, this time taking small steps. She still ended up stumbling for the door. Opening the door just a tad, she said, "Is anyone near this room?"

Oghma soared off the bed and surprisingly landed gracefully on the floor without making much noise. " No, everyone on this floor is asleep. Hewitt, Madame Durriken, and Argos are in the kitchen, but you don't have to worry about them. Madame is yelling-I mean lecturing them again so they'll be busy for awhile," Oghma chuckled as he slipped past Theresa's legs and through the door. "Follow me, hag, if you want to get the hell out of here."

Theresa squeezed thought the thin opening and closed the door carefully behind her. The jarvey was waiting impatiently for her on the stair landing, it's large, bushy tail thumping the ground furiously. Seeing her, it scurried out of sight down the stairs. Reaching the stairs, Theresa worriedly looked downward. She wasn't sure if she could make it down the stairs without her legs giving out again and sending her tumbling.

"What in Merlin's name are you waiting for? Get your boney ass done here!" Oghma yelled at her in his squeaky voice, prancing around in a circle.

Narrowing her eyes at Oghma, Theresa tentatively step down. Taking the steps one at a time, Theresa slowly made her way down the steep and narrow stair case, never letting go of the rail. Oghma watched her, making snide remarks every time she took a step. By the time Theresa foot touched the carpeted floor, she was ready to strangle Oghma.

"The front door is this way." Oghma bounded off down the hall. Theresa found to her relief that the rest of the house wasn't filthy as the room she was placed in. The hall was spacious; at least six people could stand from wall to wall with out touching their neighbor. Outlined in white trim, the rosy pink walls somehow made Theresa feel peaceful and as if she was safe. This shocked her; Theresa hated the color pink. The soft, squishy pink carpet felt wonderful under her aching feet. Three smooth, new-looking white doors were located on her right and hanging in the middle of the wall on the other side was a large gold picture frame. Whatever called the portrait home couldn't be seen. Gold gas lanterns shone brightly on either side of the hall. Theresa was about to follow her new accomplice when the shriek of a very frustrated woman broke the comforting silence.

"What were you thinking!," the woman voiced thunder from behind Theresa. The woman's voice reminded Theresa of a very sharp flute trying to play a extremely high note. " You could have gotten both of you killed! Why didn't you call the Order, Argos? Or better yet, us? You know we're always ready to help you."

"Yeah, but at what cost to my freedom, Morrigan?" said the deep, harsh voice of the black haired man from the stone and marble chamber. " You know Wadjet would want something-"

"I wouldn't allow it," the woman snapped loudly, her annoying, high pitched voice making Theresa's ears ring.

Yeah, Orion," agreed another voice which sounded like a young boy. "We'll protect you from the snake-bitch."

"Hewitt! Language!"

"Sorry, mother," came the young voice sarcastic reply.

Theresa eyes brow arched in astonishment. Hewitt, the person who conjured up the barrier, was a boy? Thoughts of escaping forgotten, Theresa spun around and slinked down the hall towards the conversation. At the end of the pink hallway, a door was slightly opened. Carefully placing herself so she wouldn't be noticed, Theresa peeked through the slit.

Slumped at the beautiful oak table that dominated the room was the haggard stranger. One of his elbow propped on the arm of the chair, a lit cigarette dangling between his pale fingers. In the light, the lines on his thin face made his face appear to be skull-like. Eyes glowing with angry, the blacked hair man frowned causing crow's feet to appear at the corners of his lips and eyes.

Meeting his glare with one of her own was a woman that could only be described as roly-poly. Her body was built like a snowman: normal size head, medium size chest, large bottom. Hazel eyes peered down her small, round nose at the sulking man at the table. With a swish of her violet dress, she walked out of veiw.

Sitting across from the man called Argos was a red headed boy of thirteen. He had a lean, scrawny frame with large, innocent blue eyes that were the color of sky. Grinning, Hewitt took a sip from a flower printed tea cup.

"So what are you going to about the girl?" Theresa heard Morrigan demand.

Sighing loudly, Argos rubbed his forehead with his free hand. Closing his eyes, he said, " I don't know. Maybe send her to Hogwarts?" Theresa was intrigued by this statement. In her world, Hogwarts was reduced into ruins during the war.

"School is still in session. Beside, you know that many loyal followers of the Ministry now teach at Hogwarts. Ministry officials would be at Hogwarts, pestering poor Headmistress McGonagall faster then you can say " fire whiskey ," Morrigan scowled him. She marched back into theresa's sight. With one plump hand, she plucked Argos cigarette from out of his hand and threw it into the sink where Theresa could hear it sizzle.

Somehow the startled look on the man's face was the funniest thing Theresa had ever seen. Theresa had to bite her lip to keep herself from cracking up. Calming herself down with deep breaths, Theresa mind began to ponder about all the information she had learned. Hogwarts was still used as a school and the Headmistress of the school was Theresa's old stern transfiguration professor. In her world, Professor McGonagall was killed early in the war, executed as a traitor. Theresa wondered what was the relationship between the Headmistress and this odd threesome.

Morrigan dislike for the Ministry also was curious. If the Ministry was anything thing like the one in her world before the war, Theresa could understand the woman's feelings. Before the war, the Ministry was filled with corupted wizards and witches who didn't care about their fellow magic users. They allowed muggle-borns and half-breeds to polluate their world, destroying it. They were the ones who allowed muggles to take over the world, forcing the good citizens of the wizardly world to hide away in small towns.

"Hey!" Argos growled. "Why in the hell did you do that?"

"You already have a foul mouth, you don't need anymore help to dirty it," Morrigan said.

Hewitt snickered into his teacup.

Sending Hewitt a scowl which made him look shamefully at the ground, Morrigan said, " Any other ideas? She's not going to be unconscious forever, you know."

"I don't know. I'll let Minnie decided," he croaked, looking longingly at the sink that hid his cigarette from view.

Minnie? Did he mean Professor McGonagall, Theresa wondered in shock. Theresa couldn't think of anyone who was stupiest enough to nickname McGonagall "Minnie" and actually say it out loud.

"When are you going to see her?"

"Later today."

"Good because your new lady friend is standing outside the door. Invite her to join us for lunch. Merlin knows she could use a few good meals," Morrigan ordered Argos, summoning four bowls from a cupboard with a flick of her hand.

Theresa cringed away from the door as if it was on fire. How did the woman know she was there. Before she could flee down the hall towards freedom, the door swung open, revealing a grumpy-looking Argos. His bright gray eyes bored into her, sending a fiery sensation racing through her body. To Theresa horror, she couldn't make her body move.

"Well, you heard the woman. Come eat," he growled.

* * *

**Second Chapter is completed. Yippe! This was a pain to write. It got deleted like five million times. Anyway review, review, review.**


End file.
